Space Launch Report: SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 Data Sheet Home On the Pad Space Logs Library Links SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 Updated September 08, 2017 Vehicle Configurations Vehicle Components Merlin 1C-powered Falcon 9 Falcon 9 v1.1 Flight History On April 27, 2013, Elon Musk tweeted a photograph showing the base of the first Falcon 9 v1.1 first stage on the big stand at McGregor, though only through a misty cloud of smoke during an ignitor test. The photo confirmed the long-suspected octagonal arrangement of Merlin 1D engines. Merlin 1D, Falcon Heavy, and Falcon 9 v1.1 By the end of 2010, SpaceX had completed development and two flight tests of its Merlin 1C-powered Falcon 9. For several years the company had discussed a more powerful Falcon 9 version that would be powered by a higher-thrust Merlin engine, but an official effort was not announced until April 5, 2011. On that date SpaceX announced that it would develop a new rocket. Press attention focused on the triple-body Falcon Heavy rocket shown in press release materials, but the real story was about the new upgraded Merlin 1D engine that would power the rocket, and about a new two-stage core version that would become known as Falcon 9 v1.1. Each of the Falcon Heavy's 27 Merlin 1D engines would produce 63.5 tonnes thrust at sea level, nearly 1.5 times more than the Merlin 1C engines that powered the first two Falcon 9 rockets. Using the new engines, combined with propellant crossfeeding from the twin boosters to the central core, Falcon Heavy would be able to lift a surprising 53 tonnes to LEO, 19 tonnes to GTO, or 13.6 tonnes toward Mars. Plans called for the first Falcon Heavy to fly a demonstration mission in 2013 from Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 4 East, the former Titan 4 pad. Falcon Heavy as Originally Presented by SpaceX, April 2011 Falcon 9 v1.1 was divulged with much less fanfare. It would be a two- stage rocket powered by nine Merlin 1D engines off the pad. This Falcon 9, substantially more capable than either Falcon 9 or the originally planned Falcon 9 Block 2 version, would, according to a briefly released information sheet that was swiftly withdrawn, would be able to lift 16 tonnes to LEO or 5 tonnes to GTO, would stand 69.2 meters, and would weigh 480 tonnes at liftoff. The company continued to show Falcon 9 Block 2 as the baseline in its Payload Users Guide, but Falcon 9 v1.1 clearly was more than a "block" upgrade. Weighing 50% more, standing one-third taller, powered by brand new engines, using new tank and thrust structures, and using new launch equipment, Falcon 9 v1.1 was for all practical purposes a brand new rocket. On April 25, 2011, Elon Musk, in a Space News interview, confirmed that Falcon Heavy would use a "stretched" Falcon 9 stage augmented by two additional "first stages". He stated that Merlin 1D would fly in mid-2012 on a Falcon 9 mission, most likely on the seventh flight of the rocket. (This, of course, turned out to be over-optimistic.) Mr. Musk described how the Merlin 1D combustion chamber was being explosively formed, streamlining the production process. He noted that a fully integrated Merlin 1D was already being test-fired.
Transcript
Space Launch Report: SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 Data SheetHome On the Pad Space Logs Library Links
SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 Updated September 08, 2017
Vehicle Configurations
Vehicle Components
Merlin 1C-powered Falcon 9
Falcon 9 v1.1 Flight History
On April 27, 2013, Elon Musk tweeted aphotograph showing the base of the firstFalcon 9 v1.1 first stage on the big stand atMcGregor, though only through a mistycloud of smoke during an ignitor test. Thephoto confirmed the long-suspected octagonalarrangement of Merlin 1D engines.
Merlin 1D, Falcon Heavy, andFalcon 9 v1.1
By the end of 2010, SpaceX had completed development and two flight tests of its Merlin 1C-powered Falcon 9. For several years thecompany had discussed a more powerful Falcon 9 version that would be powered by a higher-thrust Merlin engine, but an official effortwas not announced until April 5, 2011.
On that date SpaceX announced that it would develop a new rocket. Press attention focused on the triple-body Falcon Heavy rocketshown in press release materials, but the real story was about the new upgraded Merlin 1D engine that would power the rocket, and abouta new two-stage core version that would become known as Falcon 9 v1.1.
Each of the Falcon Heavy's 27 Merlin 1D engines would produce 63.5 tonnes thrust at sea level, nearly 1.5 times more than the Merlin 1Cengines that powered the first two Falcon 9 rockets. Using the new engines, combined with propellant crossfeeding from the twinboosters to the central core, Falcon Heavy would be able to lift a surprising 53 tonnes to LEO, 19 tonnes to GTO, or 13.6 tonnes towardMars. Plans called for the first Falcon Heavy to fly a demonstration mission in 2013 from Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 4East, the former Titan 4 pad.
Falcon Heavy as Originally Presented by SpaceX, April 2011
Falcon 9 v1.1 was divulged with much less fanfare. It would be a two-stage rocket powered by nine Merlin 1D engines off the pad. This Falcon9, substantially more capable than either Falcon 9 or the originally plannedFalcon 9 Block 2 version, would, according to a briefly releasedinformation sheet that was swiftly withdrawn, would be able to lift 16tonnes to LEO or 5 tonnes to GTO, would stand 69.2 meters, and wouldweigh 480 tonnes at liftoff. The company continued to show Falcon 9Block 2 as the baseline in its Payload Users Guide, but Falcon 9 v1.1clearly was more than a "block" upgrade.
Weighing 50% more, standing one-third taller, powered by brand newengines, using new tank and thrust structures, and using new launchequipment, Falcon 9 v1.1 was for all practical purposes a brand newrocket.
On April 25, 2011, Elon Musk, in a Space News interview, confirmed thatFalcon Heavy would use a "stretched" Falcon 9 stage augmented by twoadditional "first stages". He stated that Merlin 1D would fly in mid-2012on a Falcon 9 mission, most likely on the seventh flight of the rocket. (This, of course, turned out to be over-optimistic.) Mr. Musk describedhow the Merlin 1D combustion chamber was being explosively formed,streamlining the production process. He noted that a fully integrated
Merlin 1D was already being test-fired.
Design details of Falcon Heavy, and of Merlin 1D performance, were not provided at the time. In order to achieve the payload capabilityclaimed by SpaceX, the new rocket engine would have to provide improved specific impulse and the stages would have to provide veryhigh, almost unrealistic and certainly unprecedented, propellant mass ratios. SpaceX claimed that the two "first stage" strap-on unitswould achieve a 30 to 1 gross mass to dry mass ratio, implying an unprecedented propellant mass fraction of better than 0.966.
Beginning in 2012, drawings of Falcon Heavy began to show boosters that were longer than the core first stage, implying a largerpropellant loading for the boosters than the core. The drawings showed booster propellant tanks that were about 10 to 15 percent longerthan the core tanks.
Falcon 9 v1.1
Falcon 9 Block 1 and Falcon 9 v1.1 Comparison
Falcon 9 v1.1 itself was not named in public until May 14,2012, when NASA announced that it had modified itsLaunch Services (NLS) II contract with Space ExplorationTechnologies (SpaceX) by adding a new "Falcon 9 v1.1"variant to the program. The modification allowed SpaceXto offer "Falcon 9 v1.1" in competition for future launchcontracts.
An image of "Falcon 9 v1.1" was provided during apresentation made on March 9, 2012 by Jeffrey White, an Iridium Director. The image showed a stretched Falcon 9, with both stagesstretched. It also showed, compared to Falcon 9 Block 1, shortened interstage and propulsion sections. The bigger rocket appeared tobe outfitted with Merlin 1D engines, possibly in a rearranged configuration. An octagonal arrangement, with a ninth, center engine, wassuspected by outside observers.
Nine Merlin 1D Engines Mount to an "Octaweb" Structure at the Base of theFalcon 9 v1.1 First Stage
"Falcon 9 v1.1" represented an improvement over the long-expected "Falcon 9 Block 2" that, originally, was to be powered by improvedMerlin 1C engines. The SpaceX user's guide continued to show outmoded "Block 2" performance data as of May 14, 2012, but theSpaceX web site was updated with v1.1 performance numbers on June 6 or 7, 2011. Payload to was shown to be 13.15 tonnes to a 185km x 28.5 deg low earth orbit, 4.85 tonnes to a 185 x 35,788 km x 28.5 deg geosynchronous transfer orbit, or 2.9 tonnes to escapevelocity.
The Merlin 1D powered "Falcon 9 v1.1" was apparently set to be the building block for the company's announced Falcon Heavy, but"v1.1" clearly would be a substantial performer in its own right, pushing deep into EELV payload territory.
In early August, 2013, SpaceX provided updated performance detailsfor Falcon Heavy and Falcon 9 v1.1. Falcon Heavy still hauled 53tonnes to LEO. GTO performance was upgraded to 21.2 tonnes whiletrans-Mars performance fell to 13.2 tonnes. Falcon 9 v1.1 performancewas still 13.15 tonnes LEO or 4.85 tonnes GTO, but gross liftoff masshad risen to as much as 505.846 tonnes. Liftoff thrust was 600.109tonnes for v1.1 and 1,800.327 tonnes for Heavy.
Erector at Vandenberg AFB SLC 4E with Hangarin background
Falcon 9 v1.1 was expected to premier atVandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 4East during 2013. During a May 18, 2012interview, Elon Musk said that all Falcon 9rockets after the first five would be 1.1versions. He also referred to the originalFalcon 9 as "v1.0".
A massive construction effort nearedcompletion at SLC 4E during early 2013. Therebuilt flat pad had a massive fixed launchvehicle erector similar to the type used by DeltaIV. It also had a big horizontal hangarconnected to the pad by a curved roadway,consistent with use of a wheeled transporter.
An extension of the Cape Canaveral SLC 40 Hangar was noted during May, 2012 to accomodate the longer rocket. Construction of anew transporter/erector system at SLC 40 was being performed during the early months of 2013.
Merlin 1D
Merlin 1D Development Testing During 2012
Merlin 1D development was well underway by the time of the April 2011 announcement. Itsexplosively formed chamber dispensed with the tube-wall chamber construction of the Merlin1C. The engine as originally announced would produce 63.5 tonnes thrust at sea level and70.31 tonnes thrust in vacuum. Its vacuum specific impulse was target to be 310 seconds. Theengine had an expansion ratio of 16, a chamber pressure of 1,410 psi, and an ability to throttledown to 70%. It also would have an unprecedented 150:1 vacuum thrust to weight ratio.
During the August 2011 Joint Propulsion Conference, SpaceX VP of Propulsion Tom Muellersaid that the Merlin 1D test engine had demonstrated a vacuum thrust to weight ratio greaterthan 150:1 and a vacuum specific impulse greater than 309 seconds. He also said that theengine had performed a 185 second long burn at up to 66.68 tonnes thrust. Engine data wassubsequently updated to show 66.68 tonnes sea level thrust, 73.03 tonnes vacuum thrust, a sealevel specific impulse of 282 seconds, and a vacuum specific impulse of 311 seconds. This wasbelieved to be the highest specific impulse ever achieved by a gas-generator cycle first stagekerosene rocket engine.
On March 20, 2013 SpaceX announced that the Merlin 1D engine had completed flightqualification testing. During the 28-test program, Merlin 1D completed 1,970 seconds of total
test time, the equivalent of more than 10 full duration missions. The program included four tests at or above the 66.68 tonnes sea-levelthrust and 185 second duration needed for a Falcon 9 v1.1 flight. The testing took place at SpaceX’s McGregor, Texas facility.
Merlin 1D Vacuum
Merlin 1D Vacuum Testing at McGregor
A single Merlin 1D Vacuum version would power the Falcon 9 v1.1 second stage. In September, 2012, SpaceX provided an image of aMerlin 1D Vacuum engine being tested. The engine will be fitted with an extended nozzle, not shown in its ground test image, toimprove specific impulse. The specific impulse has not been announced, but it will likely exceed the 311 seconds listed for the first stageengine.
Grasshopper
Fifth Grasshopper Flight Reached 250 Meter Altitude
In late 2012, SpaceX began test program that atthe time seemed to be an expensive research-oriented side show. It later turned out to be akey part of Falcon 9 v1.1 development effort. The effort was called "Grasshopper".
Grasshopper was a vertical takeoff verticallanding test vehicle. It was composed of aFalcon 9 first stage fitted with a single Merlin1D engine and, at its base, a massive landingleg structure. Four fixed landing legssupported the stage both prior to takeoff andupon landing. Grasshopper took off andlanded on a concrete apron at McGregor, usingno hold-down arms or other similar launcher
equipment. The vehicle flew 2.5 meters off the ground in September, 2012. It rose 5.4 meters in November and 40 meters inDecember. In March, 2013, it flew to an 80.1 meter height where it hovered briefly before returning to land. In April, 2013,Grasshopper rose to 250 meters. SpaceX provided a dramatic helicoper-based aerial view of that flight. On June 14, 2013, Grasshopperflew for more than one minute and exceeded 300 meters altitude. A dramatic lateral divergence test took place on August 13, 2013 whenthe stage rose 300 meters while moving 100 meters horizontally during ascent and descent. Liftoff and landing occurred from the samespot during this final flight of this first Grasshopper stage at McGregor. Future testing was planned to take place in a more remotelocation in New Mexico, near White Sands, using a more advanced test stage.
On March 28, 2013, Elon Musk announced that Falcon 9 v1.1 would perform similar "fly-back" tests during early missions. Afterseparation, the stage would fire its center engine to scrub horizontal velocity, vastly reducing reentry heating. It would then attempt torestart its engine just before it hit the ocean to demonstrate a final vertical velocity reduction.
It became clear that the company planned to eventually develop a "fly back" version of its Falcon 9 v1.1 first stage. Elon Musk beganusing the "Falcon 9R" name to describe the rocket. Such a stage would actually return to its launch site for a propulsively controlledvertical landing using deployable landing legs that would be much lighter than those fitted to Grasshopper. Musk noted that testing ofsuch a system would take awhile and that a successful reentry was not necessarily expected during the initial tests. A fly-back test wouldnot occur for many months at the earliest.
First Flight Preparations
Falcon 9 v1.1 Payload Fairing Testing Preparations at Plum Brook Station near Sandusky, Ohio in March, 2013.
The big test stand at McGregor was modified to accept the larger, more powerful v1.1 first stageduring late 2012. An entirely new ground-level test stand was also under construction during thistime. The new stand, which appeared to use a water deluge system to dampen accoustic energy,was likely being constructed for Falcon Heavy testing.
Structural Falcon 9 v1.1 first and second stage structural test articles were seen at McGregorduring late 2012 and early 2013. The structural test stands previously built for Falcon 9 v1.0 hadto be stretched to handle the longer stages.
On satellite launch missions, Falcon 9 v1.1 would use a large, never-flown payload fairing. During late 2012 and early 2013, SpaceX installed a test version of its new 5.2 meter diameterfairing in NASA's massive Plum Brook Station vacuum test chamber in Sandusky, Ohio. Thefairing, with a 13.9 meter usable length, performed separation testing with the chamber pumpeddown to near-vacuum conditions.
The first Falcon 9 v1.1 flight first stage was shipped from Hawthorne to McGregor duringMarch 2013, where it was erected onto the big test stand. Propellant loading and other tests ofthe stage occurred during April and May, a process delayed when problems such as LOX leakshad to be resolved. An initial developmental static test attempt on May 31, 2013 was abortedjust prior to ignition. A second attempt on June 1 resulted in an abort after 10 seconds due tohigh gas generator inlet temperature readings.
June 7, 2013 First Stage Development Test Firing
A third attempt on June 7 was more successful, but nonethelesssuffered an abort after 112 seconds of a planned 180 second burn. Another high temperature reading was the cause. A video postedby Elon Musk of this test showed small pieces of a burninglightweight material, possibly insulation, falling from the stage afterthe abort. On June 13, 2013, a fourth attempt resulted in an abortafter 70 seconds. The center engine was removed after this test toinspect the engine compartment. Finally, on June 19, the first stageran for more than 2.5 minutes. SpaceX announced thatdevelopment testing of the stage was completed at the conclusionof this test. The company announced that the total firing time forthe stage now exceeded 6 minutes, implying that the final test lastedfor perhaps 170 seconds or more.
With development testing of the stage complete, the companyprepared to begin acceptance testing. Test engines were replacedwith flight engines, and a long acceptance test firing occurred on
July 4, 2013. A full-duration, three-minute mission length firing was performed on July 14, 2013. After the test, Elon Musk tweeted thathe was "proud of the boost stage team for overcoming many tough issues". The stage was subsequently delivered to Vandenberg AFB bythe end of July.
Meanwhile a development test of the second stage had been attempted on May 21, 2013, but had ended in an abort. No additional newsabout second stage testing was available one month later. Presumably, the stage completed a development and acceptance test cycle likethe first stage, since it was delivered to Vandenberg AFB by mid-July.
Falcon 9 v1.1 (F9-006)at SLC 4E, withSeptember 19, 2013 Hot
Fire on Right
The first flight of the Falcon 9 with Merlin 1D engines was expected to launch Canada's Cassiope, a 360 kg weather research andcommunications satellite into an elliptical low earth orbit from Vandenberg SLC 4E. A second flight would lift 3.6 tonne SES-8 togeosynchronous transfer orbit from Cape Canaveral SLC 40.
The stages for the seventh Falcon 9, also a v1.1, were at McGregor preparing for their acceptance tests by early August, 2013. The firststage fired for 45 seconds as planned on August 13. The second stage subsequently completed its testing and arrived at Cape Canaveralon September 10, 2013. Meanwhile, the Falcon 9-008 stages were being prepared for their acceptance tests.
Falcon 9 No. 6, thefirst v1.1, was matedto its transportererector at VandenbergAFB on August 22,2013. It rolled out toSLC 4E and, onAugust 28, performeda wet dress rehearsal(propellant loading)exercise with nopayload attached. Therocket returned to itshangar where thepayload and payloadfairing were attached. Back on the launchpad, an attempted hotfire test was scrubbedon September 11,2013 before being
performed on September 12, following two aborted attempts earlier in the day.
A variety of "bugs" cropped up during the initial hot fire test, including vehicle/pad interface problems and a problem with a liquidoxygen drain valve that prevented rapid detanking after the test. During the ensuring days, the vehicle was rotated back to horizontal toallow some corrective work to be performed. A second hot fire test was performed on September 19, 2013 at 17:51 UTC. This time therocket and its ground launch equipment passed the test. Falcon 9 No. 006 was prepared for an expected late September launch date,pending completion of at least one Minuteman 3 launch from Vandenberg AFB.
Falcon 9 v1.1 Debut
SpaceX Corporation successfully launched its first Falcon 9v1.1 launch vehicle from Vandenberg AFB on September29, 2013. The two-stage kerosene fueled rocket, muchlonger and heavier and with more powerful engines than itsfive Falcon 9 predecessors, and equipped for the first timewith a payload fairing, lifted off from rebuilt Space LaunchComplex 4 East at 16:00 UTC on a demonstration missionwith Canada's 500 kg Cassiope and with five small cubesatsthat together weighed about 100 kg. The second stage andsatellites were aimed south toward a planned 300 x 1,500km x 80 deg orbit.
It was the first SpaceX launch from the Western U.S.launch center, a site typically used for near polar orbitalmissions. The company extensively rebuilt SLC 4E,previously used for Titan 4, creating a flat pad with amassive wheeled transporter-erector that rolls from ahorizontal assembly hanger nearby.
Falcon 9-006 lifted off on 600 tonnes of liftoff thrust produced by nine Merlin 1D engines. This was the first flight test of the new Merlin1D, a gas generator engine designed from the outset to be mass produced. Falcon 9 v1.1 presented a unique sight as it rose, with thehighest "fineness ratio" (length divided by width) of any large rocket currently flying. Two of the first stage engines shut down as plannedshortly before the remaining seven cut off some time around the planned 2 minute 43 second mark. The second stage separated andignited its new Vacuum Merlin 1D, beginning a more than six-minute long burn. The composite payload fairing was jettisonned at aboutthe 3 minute 37 second mark.
Merlin 1D Engines Gleam in the Morning Sunlight Prior to Liftoff
After second stage cutoff, SpaceX ended its launch webcast as the stage flew out of tracking range. About 30 minutes later, word camethat Cassiope and the cubesats had separated as planned beginning more than 14 minutes after liftoff.
SpaceX performed a test re-ignition of three of the first stageengines after staging, about 7minutes 45 seconds after liftoff,in a demonstration of a reentryvelocity reduction that might beused for stage recovery in thefuture. This burn and the reentrywent as expected.
A second re-ignition of only thecenter engine also initiated asplanned shortly before impactwith the Pacific Ocean, but rollrates on the stage quicklyexceeded the control ability ofthe reaction control system. Theroll rate pushed propellanttoward the tank edges, causingthe engine to shut down. Thestage fell, impacted the ocean,
and broke into pieces. A recovery ship was able to haul aboard some floating pieces of the stage. SpaceX head Elon Musk was pleasedwith the results of the experiment, which he said moved SpaceX closer to recovery of stages in the future.
The second stage was also expected to perform a restart after spacecraft separation that would burn to propellant depletion. This planned"disposal burn" failed during engine restart. Elon Musk reported that the cause of the anomaly was understood and would be fixedbefore the next launch, when a restart would be necessary to insert SES 8 into a geosynchronous transfer orbit.
Propellant Loading for November 21, 2013 Static Test atCape Canaveral
On November 21, 2013, SpaceX announced thecause of the Flight 6 restart problem. Frozen fluidlines for the Merlin 1D Vacuum engine's hypergolicigniter fuid (triethylaluminum-triethylborane, orTEA-TEB) were responsible for the failed secondstage restart. The lines froze when they wereexposed to liquid oxygen boiloff. Designers addedinsulation to the lines and reoriented systems toprevent GOX impingement on the lines inpreparation for the next Falcon 9 launch with SES 8.
On the same date, SpaceX performed a wet dressrehearsal and static test firing of second Falcon 9v1.1 at Cape Canaveral SLC 40 in preparation for aplanned November 25 launch of SES 8 intosupersynchronous earth orbit.
Falcon 9 Performs First GeosynchronousTransfer Mission
The second SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1, and the seventh Falcon 9 overall, performed the Hawthorne, California company's first commercialgeosynchronous transfer orbit launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida on December 3, 2013. The launch boosted SES 8, a 3,138 kgcommunications satellite built by Orbital Sciences for SES of Luxembourg, toward a targeted 295 x 80,000 km x 20.75 degreesupersynchronous transfer orbit.
Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 occurred at 22:41 UTC. The on-time launch took place after two prior scrubbed attempts. ANovember 25 attempt was halted 3 min. 40 sec before launch by pressure fluctuations in the first stage LOX tank. A last-second abortduring engine start ended the launch attempt on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 2013. SpaceX replaced a gas generator on one Merlin1D engine after that attempt.
Falcon 9's nine Merlin 1D first stage engines produced about 600 tonnes ofliftoff thrust to boost the 69 meter tall, more than 500 tonne rocket slowly offits pad. The first stage burn ended about two minutes 54 seconds after liftoff,with two engines cutting off shortly before the remining seven. The secondstage Merlin 1D Vacuum engine peformed two burns, with the first lastingabout five minutes 20 seconds and the second about 71 seconds. The stagecoasted in a parking orbit for about 18 minutes toward the first equatorcrossing over the Atlantic Ocean before the restart.
SES separated about 31 minutes 15 seconds after liftoff.
The second stage restart was a critical event. A restart had failed to occurduring the inaugural September 29, 2013 Falcon 9 v1.1 flight in a test of the
stage after payloads had successfully separated into their planned low earth orbits. SpaceX determined that hypergolic igniter fluid hadbeen frozen by gaseous oxygen impingement during the flight. The company added insulation to prevent a recurrence.
SES 8 became the first satellite boosted to geosynchronous transfer orbit by a two-stage hydrocarbon fueled rocket.
It was the third Falcon 9 launch of 2013, the most in one year to date. The launch was also the 10th of the year by all launch vehiclesfrom Cape Canaveral.
Falcon 9 Launches Thaicom 6
SpaceX Corporation's eighth Falon 9 rocket, and its third upgraded Falcon 9 v1.1 variant,launch Thailand's Thaicom 6 commuication satellite into orbit from Cape Canaveral, Floridaon January 6, 2014. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 took place at 22:06 UTC. TheMerlin 1D Vacuum powered second stage performed two burns to accelerate the 3.016tonne Orbital Sciences GEOStar 2 satellite toward a targeted 295 x 90,000 km x 22.5 degsupersynchronous transfer orbit.
After maneuvering itself to geosynchronous orbit, Thaicom 6, equipped with Ku and C-band transponders, will be co-located with Thaicom 5 at 78.5 degrees East.
After a 174 second long first stage burn, the second stage burned for about 350 seconds toplace itself and its payload into a 173 x 497 x 27.3 deg parking orbit. Payload fairingseparation occurred during the early part of the second stage burn. After an 18 minutecoast, the second stage reignited for just over one minute to loft the payload toward itsinsertion orbit. Spacecraft separation occurred about 31 minutes 13 seconds after liftoff.
SpaceX performed its quickest launch pad turnaround for Thaicom 6, which lifted off justmore than one month after Falcon 9 No. 7 orbited SES 8. During the campaign, theThaicom 6 booster performed a hot fire test at SLC 40 on December 28, 2013.
CRS-3
F9-9 Sports First Landing Leg Assembly in SLC 40 Hangar
The ninth Falcon 9 was the first v1.1 version topped by a Dragon cargo carrier spacecraft. Thiswas the CRS-3 mission, which was expected to carry more than 1.5 tonnes of cargo for ISS.
F9-9 was also the first Falcon 9 v1.1 equipped with landing legs. Plans called for the legs to bedeployed shortly before the first stage reached the Atlantic Ocean during a second reentry test. After stage separation, the first stage would turn around and three of the first stage Merlin 1Dengines would reignited to eliminate most of the stage horizontal velocity, allowing the stage to fallnearly straight down through the atmosphere at low enough velocity to survive reentry. SpaceXcalled this a "reentry burn". As the stage approached the Atlantic Ocean off the northern Floridacoast, the center Merlin 1D would reignite for a third and final "landing burn" designed to scrubvertical velocity. The four landing legs would deploy 10 seconds after the start of the burn tosimulate the process of an actual landing on land. At the conclusion of this test the stage woulddrop into the ocean. Recovery of the stage is unlikely, and is unnecessary for a successful test.
CRS-3 Dragon is Attached to F9-9. Dragon Adapter Visible on Left.
Future first stage recovery will likely require three post-separation burns. The first would both scrub horizontal velocity and boost thestage back toward the launch site, all while above the atmosphere. The second burn would eliminate the boost back horizontal velocity toallow reentry. A landing burn would land the stage near the launch site. Before SpaceX can attempt a boost back stage recovery, whichwill involve fly a loaded rocket stage back toward a populated coastline, it will have to demonstrate precise control and operation of thestage using several reentry tests offshore.
F9-9 Static Test Firing
SpaceX assembled the F9-9 vehicle in its Cape Canaveral SLC 40 hangar during February and March, 2014. On March 8, the vehicleperformed a combined propellant loading and static test firing.
Falcon 9 v1.1 CRS-3 Launch, Showing Water Plume Kicked up fromFlame Trench by Merlin 1D Ignition
Falcon 9 Orbits Dragon Cargo Mission
The ninth SpaceX Falcon 9 - and the fourth upgraded "1.1"version - launched a Dragon spacecraft on the CRS-3 resupplymission for NASA's International Space Station from CapeCanaveral on April 18, 2014. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex40 took place at 20:25 UTC. The two-stage rocket boostedDragon into a 313 x 332 km x 51.6 deg low earth orbit during a 9minute 40 second ascent. Dragon controllers had to bypass afaulty quad thruster helium pressurization system isolation valveduring the spacecraft initiation phase, but the problem wasquickly solved using a backup system.
Dragon was loaded with either 2.09 or 2.27 tonnes of supplies(sources vary) for ISS - the heaviest Dragon cargo load to date aresult of the first use of Falcon 9 v1.1 to launch a cargo mission. The spacecraft weighed as much as 7.76 tonnes at liftoff,including cargo, making it the heaviest Falcon 9 payload to date.
It was expected to return to a splashdown off California's coast in several weeks with 1.59 tonnes of returning cargo.
After the first stage separated, it restarted three of its Merlin 1D engines to perform a reentry burn to eliminate most of its horizontalvelocity. The stage, the first equipped with landing legs folded against the lower part of the vehicle, then dropped through the atmosphereand restarted a single Merlin 1D as it approached the surface of the Atlantic Ocean to eliminate vertical velocity. During the burn, thestage was expected to extend its legs in a test of future land landing techniques. The stage was unlikely to be recovered, and recovery wasnot necessary for the purposes of this test.
Landing Legs on F9-9 First Stage Prior to Rollout
Several hours after the flight, Elon Musk tweeted that data from a tracking plane had showed that the final landing phase had beenperformed successfully, meaning that the stage had remained stable, that the landing burn had fired for its full duration, and presumablythat the landing legs had deployed. Several boats were enroute to the landing zone located about 520 km downrange from the Cape andabout 400 km east-southeast of Charleston, South Carolina, though heavy seas were reported in the area.
After Dragon separated, the second stage coasted for 35 minutes before performing a brief depletion burn as it flew over the IndianOcean southwest of Australia. The burn was intended to determine propellant residuals and to lower the orbit of the stage, hastening its
reentry.
Dragon successfully berthed with ISS two days after launch.
CRS-3 Dragon Approaches ISS
On April 21, 2014, SpaceX President and Chief Executive Officer Gwynne Shotwell said that the first stage had landed softly at near zerovelocity, but that recovery was unlikely due to rough seas. She said that the stage, or that parts of the stage, had been located. A CoastGuard navigation hazard notice briefly listed a floating stage obstruction at about 31 North, 76 West, but the notice was subsequentlycanceled.
Four days later, Elon Musk confirmed that the stage had deployed its legs and landed softly, but had subsequently sunk due to waveaction. High seas prevented any ships from searching for the stage for two days. Only floating fragments were located, included piecesof the carbon composite interstage and of one of the landing legs. Mr. Musk said that the company would try another first stage oceanlanding on the next Falcon 9 flight.
Long Falcon 9 Campaign Ends with Success
The fifth SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1, and tenth Falcon 9 overall, launched six Orbcomm data relay satellites into low earth orbit following aJuly 14, 2014 Cape Canaveral launch. Liftoff from SLC 40 took place at 15:15 UTC. The second stage performed a single direct insertionburn to place the Orbcomm OG 2 payload, consisting of an adapter with six 172 kg Orbcomm satellites and two 172 kg mass simulators,into a 614 x 743 km x 47 deg orbit. Sierra Nevada Corporation and Boeing Corporation built the satellites, which will maneuverthemselves into 715 km circular operational orbits.
The launch culminated a difficult campaign that endured more than two months of delays. An early May launch date had to bepostponed after a May 8, 2014 static test was called off due to ground support equipment issues. A helium leak occurred inside the firststage during propellant loading for a second static test attempt on May 9, 2014. The leak required rollback of the rocket for inspectionand replacement of an unspecified part from the stage, along with a review of designs and procedures.
The Orbcomm payload was deencapsulated and removedfrom the rocket after the leak. After the rocket wasrepaired, the launch campaign restarted, leading to asuccessful static test on June 13, 2014. Then the launchwas delayed for five days due to issues that appeared duringtesting of the Orbcomm satellites after their period ofstorage at SLC 40.
On June 20, 2014, a launch attempt was scrubbedseveral minutes before liftoff due to a decay insecond stage pressurization, apparently due to anissue with ground support equipment. A June 21attempt was scrubbed due to weather after thepropellant was loaded. Another attempt wasscrubbed on June 22 before propellant loadingbegan after a problem with a first stage thrustVector Control actuator was detected. Once again,Falcon 9 was rolled back into its hangar for repairs.
While repairs were underway, the Cape Canaveralrange entered a pre-planned two-week shutdownfor maintenance, which prevented launchattempts. The rocket was static tested on July 1,2014. On the evening of July 10, 2014, Falcon 9No. 10 rolled out to its pad for the final time.
The Falcon 9 first stage burned for about 2minutes 38 seconds as the rocket climbed on asteeper than typical trajectory while aiming for a
620 km insertion altitude. The trajectory also allowed the first stage to attempt a landing closer to Cape Canaveral than achieved duringthe previous flight. The second stage fired for about 6 minutes 46 seconds to reach its insertion orbit. Orbcomm deployment beganabout 15 minutes after launch.
After staging, the first stage perrformed a reentry burn, followed by reentry and a final landing burn to attempt soft landing in the AtlanticOcean, in a continuation of a test series evaluating the possibility of recovering the first stage by having it fly back and land near its launchsite. SpaceX head Elon Musk tweeted that the burn and leg deployment were successful, but that the stage "lost hull integrity right aftersplashdown (aka kaboom)". He said that a review of data was needed to determine if the issue was due to splashdown forces or to the tipover and "body slam" after landing. A few days later, he reported that the "body slam" was likely responsible, suggesting that the landingitself had been successful. SpaceX subsequently released on-board video that showed a successful landing. The released video cut offjust before the safely landed stage tipped sideways into the ocean.
The second stage performed a reentry burn after payload separation, a maneuver aided by the substantial excess delta-v for this mission. Total deployed operational mass was only 1.032 tonnes. Total mass including the two mass simulators and deployment adapter was likelyonly about 1.5 tonnes. Falcon 9 v1.1 capability to the Orbcomm insertion orbit was likely more than 10 tonnes, though some of thatcapability was likely expended in the steep ascent.
Falcon 9 Launches Asiasat 8
The 11th SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, and the sixth v1.1 variant, boosted the Asiasat 8communications satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit from Cape Canaveral on August5, 2014. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 took place at 08:00 UTC, only three weeksafter the previous Falcon 9 launch from the same pad.
Falcon 9's second stage performed two burns during a 32 minute mission to aim the 4,535 kgSpace Systems Loral 1300 series satellite toward a 185 x 35,786 km x 24.3 deg insertion orbit.Asiasat 8 will burn its own propellant to provide roughly 1,750 meters per second delta-v toreach geostationary orbit.
Before the encapsulated Asiasat 8 satellite was attached, the rocket was rolled out to performa brief static test firing on July 31, 2014. Like recent payloads, Asiasat 8 was processed in theSPIF (Satellite Processing and Integration Facility) at Cape Canaveral. The SPIF, part of theformer Titan Integrate Transfer Launch (ITL) launch complex, formerly handled Shuttle,Titan IV, Altas II, and EELV Defense Department payloads.
Asiasat 8 was the heaviest beyond LEO payload carried by a Falcon 9 to date. Falcon 9 flewin expendable mode without landing legs as a result. It was the year's fourth Falcon 9 launch.
Falcon 9 Launches Asiasat 6
A SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 boosted Asiasat 6 intogeosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) from Cape CanaveralAir Force Station on September 7, 2014. The 500-plus tonnetwo stage rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at05:00 UTC to begin a 32 minute long mission that featuredtwo burns of the Merlin 1D Vacuum powered second stage.The first burn placed the vehicle into a 202 x 175 km x 27.7deg parking orbit about 9 minutes after liftoff. The second,roughly one-minute burn began after a 17 minute coastdownrange to the equator. Asiasat 6, a 4.428 tonne SpaceSystems Loral 1300 series satellite, was targeted toward a 185 x35,786 km x 25.3 deg GTO.
AsiaSat of Hong Kong owns the satellite, which will use 28 C-band transponders to transmit video and data across Chinaand Southeast Asia. Transponder sharing with Thaicom willgive the satellite a second moniker: Thaicom 7. AsiaSat 6'slaunch came just over one month after the previous Falcon 9launched similar Asiasat 8.
The first stage restarted three of its Merlin 1D engines after stage separation. The duration of the burn was not announced, but it waslikely only a brief ignition test. No landing burn was attempted.
It was the seventh Falcon 9 v1.1 launch, the 12th Falcon 9, and the fifth SpaceX launch of 2014.
The launch was delayed two weeks to allow SpaceX engineers to review data from an August 22 failure of the company's Falcon 9R Dev1 landing test rocket stage at the company's McGregor, Texas test site. On that date the test stage lifted off on the thrust of three Merlin1D engines, but one of the outboard engines suffered a sensor failure at startup, creating conditions that ultimately led to loss of controland the triggering of an automatic destruct sequence after the stage had risen several hundred meters. The review confirmed that Falcon 9v1.1 would not have encountered the problem because it uses redundant sensors while Falcon 9R Dev 1 used a single string setup.
Falcon 9R Dev 1 failed during its fifth test flight. It first flew on April 17, 2014. On subsequent tests it flew to 1,000 meters, maneuvered,and landed successfully. On its third test on June 17 it used steerable grid fins for the first time to augment control. The August 22 flightwas apparently the first to use three engines, with the two outboard engines expected to be throttled and then shut down prior to landing.
Falcon Lofts Dragon
A SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 successfully orbited the Dragon CRS-4 spacecraft on a resupply mission for the International Space Station fromCape Canaveral, Florida on September 21, 2014. The more than 500 tonne two-stage rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at05:52 UTC to begin its 9 minute 30 second ascent to a 199 x 359 km x 51.644 deg orbit.
Dragon was loaded with 2.216 tonnes of cargo for ISS. The spacecraft weighed as much as 7.716 tonnes at liftoff, including cargo.Included was the first 3D printer to be launched into space, 20 mice riding in a specially-made habitat, a radar scatterometer to measureocean winds, and a metal plating experiment flown by a golf club manufacturer. that could improve the design of golf clubs.
Dragon Separation
CRS-4 is slated to return to a splashdown off SouthernCalifornia's coast with 1.486 tonnes of cargo after a four weekstay at the station. It is the fourth of at least 12 missions to ISSthat SpaceX is contracted to fly under NASA's CommercialResupply Services (CRS) contract.
This Falcon 9 was not fitted with landing legs, but the firststage performed reentry and landing burns after separatingfrom the second stage. During the ascent the first stage firedfor about 2 minutes 50 seconds and the second stage for about6 minutes 40 seconds. Dragon separation occurred about 10minutes 15 seconds after liftoff. Some time after separation,the second stage reignited to perform a brief deorbit burn thattargeted a reentry south of New Zealand during the first orbit.
The launch came after a September 17, 2014 static test firing
of the Falcon 9 first stage engines on SLC 40. It followed by only 14 days the previous Falcon 9 launch of Asiasat 6 from the same launchpad. A 13 day turnaround might have occurred were it not for a weather scrub on September 20.
It was the 13th Falcon 9, the 8th Falcon 9 v1.1, the 8th Falcon 9 launch during the past 12 months, and the fourth launch during the pasttwo months.
Falcon 9 Orbits Dragon CRS-5
SpaceX's ninth Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket successfully orbited another of the company's Dragonspacecraft on the CRS-5 (Cargo Resupply Services) mission from Cape Canaveral, Floridaon January 10, 2015. Rising on nearly 590 tonnes of thrust produced by its nine first stageMerlin 1D engines, the 63.4 meter tall two-stage rocket lifted off at from Space LaunchComplex 40 at 09:47 UTC and steered on a northeastward track. The first stage shut down
p gits nine Merlin 1D engines about 157 seconds after liftoff and the second stage MerlinVacuum engine began a roughly 7 minute burn to boost the vehicle into a 206 x 353 km x
51.64 degree orbit.
Dragon carried 2.317 tonnes of cargo for International Space Station Expeditions 42 and43. The spacecraft likely weighed as much as 7.807 tonnes at liftoff, including cargo. Oneunpressurized payload carried in Dragon's trunk was NASA Goddard's Cloud-AerosolTransport System (CATS), a laser remote sensing experiment designed to measure cloudsand aerosols in the atmosphere. It also carried an IMAX camera and tools for futurespacewalks to prepare the station for the installation of the new international dockingadapters.
After about four weeks at ISS, Dragon will return to a Pacific Ocean splashdown loadedwith more than 1.633 tonnes of return cargo, packaging materials, and trash.
It was the second launch attempt for CRS-5. A January 6 attempt was scrubbed 1 minute21 seconds before the planned liftoff because of a second stage engine thrust vectorcontrol actuator issue. SpaceX said that engineers had "observed drift on one of the twothrust vector actuators (Elon Musk identified it as the "Z actuator") on the second stagethat would likely have caused an automatic abort". A similar problem had appeared duringthe rocket's initial hot fire test countdown at SLC 40 on December 17, 2014 but engineershad thought the problem subsequently solved.
That initial hot fire test was itself aborted after ignition due to a valve problem, causing theplanned December 20 launch date to slip to January 6. A second hot fire test attempt wassuccessful on December 19, 2014.
After the first stage separated, it performed another in a continuing series of SpaceX stage recovery experiments. This time, for the firsttime, a landing was attempted on a converted barge, parked more than 320 km downrange, that was equipped with a flat top landingplatform and position-holding capabilities. Also, for the first time, four grid-fins attached to the interstage were used to help steer thestage toward a precise landing spot. The stage reignited three of its engines to perform an initial boost-back burn to shorten its range.Then, as it fell through the upper atmosphere, it fired its engines a second time to reduce reentry velocity.
A third single-engine landing burn took place during the final moments of the descent, designed to set the stage safely down on fourlanding legs that were to deploy just before landing. The stage apparently steered itself to the barge and attempted to land, but it crashed,or landed hard, on the barge and was destroyed. The barge itself remained afloat, but stage recovery equipment aboard the barge wasdestroyed. SpaceX head Elon Musk announced that the grid fins had worked during the hypersonic to subsonic velocity phase, but thatthey exhausted their hydraulic fluid supply shortly before the landing, which may have contributed to the crash.
It was the first orbital launch of 2015 and the 14th Falcon 9 launch.
Falcon 9 Launches DSCOVR
SpaceX's tenth Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket, and 15th Falcon 9overall, launched the NASA/NOAA/USAF Deep SpaceClimate Observatory (DSCOVR) from Cape Canaveral,Florida on February 11, 2015. The 500+ tonne two-stagerocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at 22:03UTC and steered on an eastward track, rising into thelight of a setting sun for a spectacular dusk ascent.
The first stage shut down its nine Merlin 1D enginesabout 164 seconds after liftoff and the second stageMerlin Vacuum engine began a 5 minute 44 second burnto boost the vehicle into a parking orbit. After coastingacross the Atlantic Ocean, the second stage reignited atthe 30 minute 9 second mark to begin a 58 second burnaimed to boost DSCOVR into a highly elliptical earthorbit. The target orbit was 187 x 1,241,000 km x 37degrees. The achieved orbit was 187 x 1,371,156 km x 37degrees.
DSCOVR is a 570 kg satellite that was originally built by Lockheed Martin during the 1990s. It will move itself into a Lissajous orbit
around the Sun-Earth L1 Lagrangian point, 1,500,000 km from Earth in line with the Sun. There it will monitor the solar wind andprovide images of the fully-illuminated side of the Earth. The spacecraft will take 110 days to reach its final L1 orbit.
It was the third launch attempt for DSCOVR. A February 8 attempt was scrubbed with a little more than 2 minutes remaining in thecount due to a range tracking issue. A February 10 attempt was scrubbed due to excessive high altitude winds. The rocket performed itsstatic fire test at SLC 40 on January 31, 2015 during the day's second attempt.
After the first stage separated, it performed a reentry burn followed by a terminal landing burn, but a second attempt to land on aconverted barge had to be abandoned due to high seas. The landing attempt would have been more than 400 km downrange. An initialboost-back burn performed during previous recovery missions was not performed due to the need to assign propellant to the DSCOVRascent.
It was the second Falcon 9 launch of 2015.
Falcon 9 Orbits Ion Engine Satellite Pair
Falcon 9 No. 16 During Final Minutes of Countdown
The 16th SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle, and the 11th Falcon 9 v1.1 variant,launched two landmark communications satellites into orbit from Cape Canaveralon March 2, 2015. Liftoff from Cape Canaveral SLC 40 took place at 03:50 UTC.ABS-3A and Eutelsat 115 West B, the first two all-ion-engine powered Boeing HS-702SP satellites, were stacked atop one another inside the 5.2 meter diameterpayload fairing.
The first stage was not equipped with landing legs or grid fins for a landing attemptdue to the requirements of the mission. The first stage fired for 2 min 56 secondsbefore separating. After a 10 second unpowered interval, the second stage startedits Merlin 1D Vacuum engine for a 5 min 44 second burn that boosted the vehicleinto a 174 x 953 km x 28.19 deg parking orbit. The stage coasted for 16 min 52seconds before reigniting for a 59 second burn that boosted the stage and payloadstoward a targeted supersynchronous transfer orbit of 408 x 63,928 km x 24.83 deg. The satellites separated in sequence during the subsequent nine minutes. The
satellites separated in sequence during the subsequent nine minutes and were subsequently tracked in roughly 400 x 63,300 to 63,400 kmx 24.8 deg orbits that exceeded customer expectations. They will gradually maneuver themselves to geostationary orbit, a process that willtake at least eight months due to the low thrust provided by the ion engines.
ABS-3A stacked atop Eutelsat 115 West B During Payload Processing
By dispensing with standard liquid monomethyl hydrazine propellants in favor of highly efficientxenon-ion propulsion system (XIPS), Boeing developed satellites that could weigh substantially less.Each satellite has at least four 25 cm diameter XIPS, each producing about 8.2 grams thrust at anaverage ISP of 3,420 seconds.
ABS-3A weighed 1.954 tonnes and Eutelsat 115 West B weighed 2.205 tonnes, about half theweight of a standard satellite of equal capability. The Eutelsat satellite weighed more than ABS-3Abecause it was the lower of the two satellites and was designed to support the weight of ABS-3A. This arrangement allowed for a standard Falcon 9 payload fairing and payload attach fitting to beused.
The total 4.159 tonne payload mass was the heaviest boosted to a supersynchronous transfer orbitby Falcon 9 to date. The rocket performed a static test firing on the pad on February 25 with nopayloads or payload fairing attached.
Falcon 9 Launches Dragon CRS-6
A SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket successfully orbited the company's Dragon spacecraft on the CRS-6 (Cargo Resupply Services) missionfrom Cape Canaveral, Florida on April 14, 2015. The 63.4 meter tall two-stage rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at 20:10UTC and steered on a northeastward track. The first stage shut down its nine Merlin 1D engines about 159 seconds after liftoff and the
second stage Merlin Vacuum engine began a 408 second burn toboost the vehicle into a 199 x 364 km x 51.65 degree orbit.
Dragon carried 2,015 kg of cargo for the International SpaceStation, a total that included 117 kg of packing material. Thespacecraft likely weighed about 7,505 kg at liftoff, including cargoand the weight of two solar array fairings that were jettisonnedshortly after reaching orbit.
After about five weeks at ISS, Dragon will return to a PacificOcean splashdown loaded with 1,370 kg of return cargo, packagingmaterials, and trash.
It was the second launch attempt for CRS-6. The first attempt wasscrubbed by approaching weather on April 13. The rocket's firststage performed an on-pad hot-fire test on April 11.
The CRS-6 mission, complete with its launch vehicle, had movedahead of the previously-processed Turkmensat mission when apotential problem was found with that rocket's heliumpressurization system a few days before its planned launch on
March 21. The CRS-6 launch vehicle was then swapped with the Turkmensat rocket so that CRS-6 was launched by the 18th Falcon 9launch vehicle although it was the only the 17th Falcon 9 to fly.
After the first stage separated, it performed a three-burn recovery experiment aiming toward a landing on a converted barge floating inthe Atlantic Ocean about 330 km downrange. The stage landed on the barge, but apparently landed hard and disentegrated.
Falcon 9 Launches TurkmenAlem 52E
The 13th Falcon 9 v1.1 to fly, and the 12th tobe built, successfully boosted theTurkmenAlem 52E communications satelliteinto geosynchronous transfer orbit from CapeCanaveral, Florida on April 27, 2015. Liftofffrom Space Launch Complex 40 took place at23:03 UTC after a half-hour weather delay.
The 4,500 kg Thales Alenia Space Spacebus4000 series satellite was released about 32minutes 15 seconds after liftoff, following asecond burn of the Falcon 9 second stage,toward a targeted 180 x 36,600 km x 25.5 degorbit. The satellite is the first satellite launchedfor the government of Turkmenistan.
The flight was originally shelved only a fewdays before its planned March 21, 2015 datewhen concerns were raised about helium
pressurization bottles in the first stage LOX tank after an anomaly was detected in other hardware at the Hawthorne, California Falcon 9factory. As a result, the F9-17 vehicle (12th Falcon 9 v1.1 and 17th Falcon 9) being prepared for TurkmenAlem 52E was pulled from theSLC 40 hangar back to the SpaceX hangar in the Cape Canaveral industrial area. This allowed the F9-18 vehicle to move ahead in thequeue to perform the CRS-6 launch on April 14. F9-17 quickly returned to SLC 40, where it performed a static test firing on April 22.
Falcon 9 CRS-7 Failure
F9-19/CRS-7 Failure
The 19th SpaceX Falcon 9 to fly (production serial number 20) suffered a launch failure about 2 minutes 19 seconds after liftoff fromCape Canaveral SLC 40 on June 28, 2015. The flight, carrying cargo for the International Space Station, lifted off at 14:21 UTC. TheFalcon 9 v1.1 steered into clear skies and headed downrange with no obvious problems during the first two minutes of flight, but a cloudof white vapor suddenly expanded from the front of the vehicle at the 2:19 mark, and pieces were visible breaking off of the vehicle, even
as the first stage engines continued thrusting. The rocket quicklybroke up and was enveloped by a larger explosion.
F9-19/CRS-7 Liftoff
An hour or so after launch, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk reported via.Twitter that the second stage liquid oxygen tank had becomeoverpressurized and failed due to "counterintuitive" reasons that were stillunder investigation. At the time of the failure the second stage was beingprepared to begin its portion of the flight, with the Merlin Vacuumengine in a chilldown phase.
It was the first failure of a Falcon 9 v1.1 in 14 flights, the first Falcon 9 tofail to reach orbit, and the second failure of any type of a Falcon 9.
The failure was the third involving an ISS cargo carrier during the last 8months, placing the station in a potential cargo-shortage danger. Theloss reduced the planned on-board cargo margin by at least one month.
Helium Bottle Support Eyed in Falcon 9 Failure
On July 20, 2015, Elon Musk, head of SpaceX, announcedpreliminary investigation results of the company's June 28Falcon 9/CRS-7 launch failure. Musk said that a strut supportingone of the high pressure composite overwrapped pressure vessel(COPV) helium bottles inside the second stage liquid oxygen(LOX) tank is believed to have failed as vehicle accelerationpassed 3.2 Gs, allowing the bottle to break free. As a result ofthe failure, enough helium was released to rapidly overpressurizethe tank. The bottles hold helium at 5,500 psi.
Mr. Musk also revealed that the CRS-7 Dragon capsule, whichbroke away from the disentegrating rocket, transmitted data untilit fell below the horizon and could have been saved if aparachute could have been ejected. Flight software did not havea mode for such a contingency, but Musk said that futureversions would have such software.
The 2 foot long, one inch thick strut failed at only 20% of its 10,000 pound rated strength. During its investigation, SpaceX tested a largenumber of the struts and found a few that failed below the rated strength due to metallurgical weaknesses. SpaceX will replace the struts,which are also used in first stages, with stronger struts from a different manufacturer. The company will also improve its quality controlprocesses to assure strut strength.
Musk said that the next launch will not occur until September at the earliest, depending on reviews by NASA, the FAA, the U.S. Air
Force, and commercial customers.
Falcon 9 Orbits Jason 3, Stage Landing Fails
The final SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket boosted Jason 3, an ocean monitoring satellite, into lowearth orbit from Vandenberg AFB on January 17, 2016. Liftoff from fog-enshrouded SpaceLaunch Complex 4 East (SLC 4E) took place at 18:42 UTC. The first stage burned for about 2min 34 sec. The second stage then fired for about 6 min 15 sec to place itself into a 175 x 1,321km orbit. The stage coasted until about 55 minutes after launch, when it fired again whilepassing northward above the Indian Ocean east of Africa, for 12 seconds, to reach a 1,305 x1,320 km x 66 deg insertion orbit. Jason 3 separated soon after.
Four international agencies partnered for the Jason 3 mission. They include NOAA, NASA, theFrench Space Agency CNES (Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales), and EUMETSAT(European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites). Thales Alenia ofFrance built the 553 kg spacecraft. NASA managed the launch service. Jason 3 will performocean topography using a microwave radiometer and other instruments.
The second stage performed a deorbit burn after spacecraft separation, targeting a mid-PacificOcean impact zone.
After staging, the first stage performed boostback, reentry, and landing burns while aiming for aconverted landing barge floating in the Pacific about 280 km downrange, west of San Diego,
California. The stage landed, but one of the landing legs did not fully lock in place and the stage fell over. Parts of the destroyed stageremained on the barge.
The first stage performed a static fire at SLC 4E on January 11, 2016 after rolling out the previous day. The stage had completed itstesting at McGregor, Texas in May, 2015, but had to wait for flight after the mid-2015 Falcon 9 launch failure. The second stage wastested at McGregor on November 4, 2015 to verify modifications mades after the F9-20 launch failure. It was the 14th success in 15flights of the Falcon 9 v1.1 variant.
Vehicle Configurations
LEO Payload
(metric tons) 185 km x
(1) 28.5 deg(CC)
(2) 98 deg(VA)
(3) 9.1 deg(KW)
(4) 51.6 deg(CC)
Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit
Payload (metric tons)
185x35,788 km x 27 deg
~1,800 m/s from GEO
Escape Velocty Payload (5)LEO+3,150
m/s (6)LEO+3,750
m/s
Configuration
Liftoff Height (meters) [1]
Dragon [2] PLF
Liftoff Mass
(metrictons)
Price (2005) $Millions
Falcon 9 Block 1(Merlin 1C)
2010
9.0 t (1) 8.5 t (4)
3.4 t 2 t (5) 2 Stage Falcon 9 (Merlin1C)
+ 3.6 m or 5.2 m PLF
[1] 48.1m
318 t $3555 m(2007)
Falcon 9 v1.1 (Merlin1D)
>2013?
13.15 t (1) 4.85 t 2.9 t (est)(5) 2 Stage Falcon 9 v1.1(Merlin 1D)
+ 3.6 m or 5.2 m PLF
[1] 63.3m [2] 68.4
m
505.8 t $5459.5 m(2013)
Falcon Heavy >2014?
53 t 21.2 t 13.2 t (6) 3 Falcon 9xMerlin 1D cores + 1xMerlinVac Upper Stage
+ PLF
[2] 68.4m?
1,462 t $80124 m(2013)
Vehicle Components
Falcon 9 Stage 1 Block 1
Merlin 1C
Falcon 9 Stage 2 Block 1
Merlin 1C
Falcon 9 Stage 1 "v1.1"
Merlin 1D
Falcon 9 Stage 2 "v1.1"
Merlin 1D
Version Estimated
Version Estimated
Version Estimated
Version Estimated
Diameter (m) 3.66 m
3.66 m
3.66 m
3.66 m
Length (m) ~30.1 m (est) not incl I/S
~10.0 m incl I/S
~40.9 m (est) not incl I/S
~14.6 m incl I/S
Empty Mass (tonnes)
~19.24 t? burnout
~3.1 t? burnout
~19 t? burnout
~44.5 t? burnout
Propellant Mass (tonnes) ~239.3 t? used
~48.9 t? used
~360385 t? used
~7080 t? used
Total Mass (tonnes) ~258.5 t?
~52 t?
~380405 t?
~7484 t?
Engine Merlin 1C
Merlin Vac
Merlin 1D
Merlin 1D Vac
Engine Mfgr SpaceX
SpaceX
SpaceX
SpaceX
Fuel RP1
RP1
RP1
RP1
Oxidizer LOX
LOX
LOX
LOX
Thrust (SL tons)
387.825 t
600.109 t
Thrust (Vac tons)
442.938 t
42.18 t
680.396 81.647 t
ISP (SL sec) 266 s
282 s
ISP (Vac sec) 304 s
336 s
311 s 340s
Burn Time (sec)180 s 346 s 185 s? 375 s?
No. Engines 9 1 9 1
Comments
- -
Falcon 9
Payload Fairing
Diameter (m) 5.2 m
Length (m) 13.9 m
Empty Mass (tonnes)
~ 2.0 t?
Falcon 9 v1.1 Flight History
Date Vehicle No. Payload Mass Site Orbit (kmxkmxdeg)
